Contact device for valve supervisory systems



R. M. HOPKINS.

CQNTACT DEVICE FOR VALVE SUPERVISORY SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. I916.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

INVENTOR.

W1 TNESSES:

A TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD M. norxnvs, on NEW YORK, N. Y.. assrcnoa To AMERICAN DISTRICTTELE- GRAZE'H COMPANY, or JERSEY crcrr, new JERSEY, A conronn'rron on NEW L v.1

JERSEY.

CONTACT DEVICE FOR VALVE SUPERVISORY SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented D131. 15, 1921.

Application filed December 26, 1916. Serial No. 138,948.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. Hormns, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Contact Devices for Valve upervisory Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in contact devices adapted tor'employment in valve supervisory systemsf0r example the systems of supervising shut-oil valves of automatic sprinkler fire extinguisher systems. In these fire extinguisher systems, it is customary, during Warm weather, to keep the pipes flooded with water, and therefore the shut-ofi' valves to be supervised, are

opemand it is desired to send a.s1gn al in case any one of those valves should be closed. During cold Weather it is customary tomaintam the pipes empty, so that water may not freeze in them, and therefore in such case the shut-off valves are closed, and it is desired to send a si nalin- My 1ncase one of these valves is opened. vention comprises a contact device adapted for attachment to a shut-oil valve, which contact device will be operated either when the valve is, closed from its wide open position, or when the valve is opened-from its corn. letely closed position. My invention fur't er comprises a suitable swltch readily operable from the outside of the contact d vieawhereb either of the two main contactdevicesfmay placed in circuit at will. objectof my invention 'is to provide simple and-reliable means whereby a si may liesent, either in the event 0 comp etc or materially partial closure of a supervised valve, or upon opening, partially or compltely, of 'such valve.

I,wi;ll new roceed ,to describe iny invention with: re er'enc'e to the acco'm anyin drawings, and will then point out t e. nove featiires. in cla ms. In said drawings g n.

Figure. 1 showsa side elevation of a ;valve improved contact device, and indicates aconventional method of H alve.

.2 sho'vvsa front view offtlie contact d vi e, w thi c plate ve f Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section of the" connection .o'f such contact device to the This contact device comprises a stem 3, con- 6 nected, in some suitable manner, (various suitable methods of connection are well known in the art) to the stem or operating member 4 of the valve, so that as that stem 4. 1s operated to open or close the valve 1, v

the stem 3 of the contact device will be raised or lowered.

The stem 3 of the contact device carries a contact member 5 which, in the construction shown, has the form of a ring, which contact member-,5 will move up or down with the stem 8. In Fig. 2 I have shown this contact member 5 in an abnormal position, which may be reached under circum stances to he explained hereafter. Within the case 2 are contact springs 6,7 and 9. Under normal conditions contact 5 is always in contact with contact spring 6; and normally it will also be in contact either with spring 7 or with sprin 9, according. to the 35 of a normall closed supervisory circuit-Paco circ'uitnorma closed e t h 7 or spring'!). i.

10 desi nates a spr iig tending tojifaise stem 3. f the contact device, or thefcqnnection of thaticontact device with thevalve should be tampered with, in such manner as to, release, even momentarily,ltheste the spring 10 will force ttatstem upvgandi so as to break contact of contact member 5 with springs and thereby the circuit will be broken, which has deflect;

of settingfanalarm'signal.

11 designates a barrel, formi ating member of switch 8,,rotata thou t edin th cover 12 ofcasefl, and copies o de ing in a generalsens'e, to'thet'ig mh er arijel" of, a lock, though it is not prov1dedwitli tuinhlers. Itis provided, However, with" a defeat key slot 13' 01? peculiar confll gnl'tltidmand 8." correspondingly for-med key (not shown) if inserted in this slot 13, will provide means for uotating the barrel 11. At the two sides of this barrel ll are springs 14 and 15 adapted to make contact respectively with stationary contact members 16 and 17; of which, 17 is electrically connected to contact spring 7, and 16 is; electrically connected to contact spring 9. The barrel 11 is provided with a projection 18 whereby contact spring 14 may be brought into contact with contact member 16, or contact spring 15 may be brought i to contact with contact member 17, accor "ing to the direction in which the barrel 11 is turned. he cover is provided with limit projections 19 and 19 which, b en ag meiit with a projection 21, carit'ed y t e arrel, limit the extent of rotftion of that barre T c base "0 to which springs 14 and 15 are connected or of Which they form parts, constitutes, as to the contact mechanism, one terminal of the supervisory circuit; the spring (3 constitutes another terminal of the supervisory circuit. It will be obvious from what has been said above, that when the barrel 11 is turned to bring contact members 15 and 17 into contact, then contact spring 7 is in the supervisory circuit; and that when the barrel- 11 is turned so as to brin, contact members 14 and 16 into contact, hen spring 9 is in the supervisory ciriththe valve wide open contact member 5 is in contact with springs 6 and 7 (contacts I5 and 17 bein then in contact with one another); and t e supervisory circuit is closed through contacts 6, 5 and T. It now valve 1 be closed, then during the early portion of the closing movement, and before, the/valve has been closed sufiiciently to inj anally restrict 613w, contact will be fQk m b wfin 6i and 7 and therefore the supervisory circuitjwill be Opened an alarm befng. thereby transmitted. If t (1 closing of valve 1 be continued contact member 5 will-saga reach Contact nfember 9, but this m'eiiibcr 9 being out of circuit, circuit conditions are not chan ed.

gupposing valve 1 to be completely closed, and contact member 9 to be in circuit then a very slig t openi of the valve will suffice'tpbrea contact etween members 5 and 3, thereby opening the supervisory circuit and'sendmg in a] signal.

It is "intended that valve 1 shall never be "0 sea, creatures visit of an inspector,

w ovv'illhiinsel close the valve in putting thtia extinguisher systemor the lilre into condi :1 than th a e, w a b m a s "0 suitable key, cperate'the swit barrel use as to place. Contact member 9 in circuit, It is intended further that the valve n fin: cold w hstand such inspe t 1, once clbsefl, slat] never be cpeieu; pai'tly or completely, except upon visit of as" inspector, who Will at such time, open the valve 1 himself, at the same time o erating the switch barrel 11 by means of a suitable key, so as to put contact member 9 out of circuit and put contactmember 7 in circuit. If, at otlcr times than upon such visits of the inspector, the valvc'be opened from its completely closed position, or be 7 closed, partly or completely, from its wide open position, a suitable signal will be sent thi'ou h the supervisory circuit, as above explained.

V-hat I claim is:

1. A valve supervising contact device comprising contacts, and means adapted to be operated by opening or closing of a valve to which said device may be connected for operating such contacts, one of said contacts being arranged to break a circuit through one contact 11 on artial or complete closure of the va ve rom wide open position, and to break the circuit through another contact upon partial or com lete opening of the valve from completely c osed position thereof.

2. A valve supervising contact device comprising contacts and means adapted to be operated by opening or closing of a valve to which said device may be connected for operating such contacts, one of said contacts man ed to send a supervisory si nal upon partia or complete closure of he valve from wide open position, the other to send a supervisory signal upon iarti'al or complete opening of the valve rom completely closed positiont-hereof, and further contact means for placing one or the other of said first mentioned contacts in circuit at will.

3. A valve supervising contact device comprising contacts and" means adapted to be operated by opening or closing of a valve to which saii:1 device may be Connected {or operating such" contacts, one of said con- 110 tact's arr nged to senile supervisory signal upon )artial or complete closure of the valve train wide open position, the other, to send, a supervisorysifialu partial or coinllbt, openin of 3e val ye from com. 115 late y closed position therebf, and contact means adapted forke -operationandadaptprising a rotary barrel adapted for keyoperation and adapted to place one or the other of said first mentioned contacts in circuit at will.

5 5. A valve supervising contact device comprising an inclosing case, a stem therein adapted to be moved longitudinally by opening or closing of a valve to which the contact device may be connected, a contact 10 member arranged to move with such stem, and three contact springs with which such contact member may make contact during such movement of such stem, said contact springs so arranged that the said contact member will close contact between two of said springs in one contact combination during movement of such stem from one extreme position, and will close contact between two such springs in another contact combination during movement of such stem from another extreme position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD M. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

FLonENoE ELMQUIST, GRACE HILDEBRANT. 

